The present invention relates to a rubber connector in which conducting portions and insulating portions are alternately disposed with each other, and more particularly, to a rubber connector in which each of the conducting portions thereof has a projecting form.
Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 1, the rubber connector 9 is shaped in a virtually flat form in the direction of its thickness, in which insulating portions 1 and conducting portions 2 are alternately disposed with each other.
Therefore, to effect a connection of an external device with a unit having the rubber connector 9 fitted thereto, it has been necessary that they are constructed, as shown in FIG. 2. In particular, when the connection is made, the cabinet member of the unit (such as an IC card reader) 3 covering the portion at which the connector is fitted thereto may be removed to expose the whole body of the rubber connector. Also, on the side of the external device (such as a memory card and IC card) 4, a contact terminal board 5 may be exposed to the outside.
Therefore, problems arise such as the rubber connector 9 is difficult to fix in place and the unit 3 and the external device 4 are both susceptible to the influence of humidity, liable to be damaged by foreign substances, and have mechanically weak points because large portions of their contact terminals are exposed.
Incidentally, 6 and 7 in the figure denote a contact terminal and circuit board, respectively, incorporated in the unit 3, while 8 denotes a contact terminal disposed on the device 4 to be connected with the conducting portion 2 of the rubber connector 9.
In an example in which another type of conventional rubber connector is used, the rubber connector 9 in the form of a bar is inserted, as shown in FIG. 3, in an opening portion 15a made in the cabinet 15 of the body of a computer (such as an IC card reader) containing a circuit board 10. The rubber connector 9 has its conducting portions 2 in contact with contact terminals 11 on the circuit board 10 and with its upper side slightly protruded from the opening portion 15a. The external memory cabinet (such as a memory card and IC card) 14 containing on its underside a circuit board 13 having protruded contact terminals 12 thereon is adapted to come in contact with the conducting portions 2 when pressed in the direction of arrow A against the upper side of the computer body cabinet 15 to be fixed thereto. Thereby, both the circuit boards 10 and 13 are electrically connected easily with each other through the rubber connector 9 without the need for soldering.
However, since the aforementioned conventional rubber connector 9 is of the form of a bar with the insulating portions 1 and conducting portions 2 formed at the same height and it is required that rubber connector 9 as a whole protrude from the opening portion 15a, both the computer body cabinet 15 and the external memory cabinet 14 must be provided with openings therein extending over virtually the total widths thereof. Therefore a problem arises concerning the strength of the cabinets at these portions.